1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a recording apparatus, and in particular to a recording apparatus wherein a recorded medium is discharged above a sheet feed tray.
2. Related Background Art
One of types of ink jet recording apparatuses that discharge a recorded medium above a sheet feed tray is such apparatus that feeds and discharges sheets to the front of the main body. In this type of ink jet recording apparatus, the location at which a recording medium is discharged is substantially above a sheet feed tray that is openably/closably (or foldably) attached to the main body of the recording apparatus, and a sheet separator is required to prevent a recorded medium, once discharged, from being fed again. Further, in order to satisfactorily perform this function, a structure must be provided for the sheet separator for covering recording media loaded onto the sheet feed tray. Therefore, since the distance between the top face of the sheet feed tray and the reverse face of the sheet separator directly affects the permissible number of recording media that can be loaded, as great the distance as possible is required.
In a conventional ink jet recording apparatus, the sheet separator is fixed to the sheet feed tray, and is extended therefrom. Therefore, in order to avoid interference between the sheet separator and the main body of the recording apparatus when the sheet feed tray is closed or folded, either space for accommodating the sheet separator must be obtained within the main body of the recording apparatus, or the distance between the top face of the sheet feed tray and the reverse face of the sheet separator must be reduced while making projection from the sheet separator as small as possible. However, when the space for storing the sheet separator is obtained in the main body of the recording apparatus, the size of the entire apparatus is increased. And when the distance between the top face of the sheet feed tray and the reverse face of the sheet separator is reduced, the permissible number of recording media to be loaded is decreased.